


Rather A Dear Little Thing, Isn't It?

by Vanessa_Cocotea



Category: Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-18
Updated: 2014-03-18
Packaged: 2018-01-16 04:10:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1331416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanessa_Cocotea/pseuds/Vanessa_Cocotea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From today, 17 March 2014:</p><p>The Doctor has become a little leery of St. Patrick's Day, as he always seems to be put through it - one way or another. Will this year be any different?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rather A Dear Little Thing, Isn't It?

"Ahh, sand between one's toes is rather nice!" reflected the Doctor. He was in the beach room for a stroll in the early morning hours of another St. Patrick's Day. He thought maybe a stroll in the sand might help him cope with anything the day might throw at him. St. Patrick's Day seemed to be the one holiday that always put him through it - one way or another. So he'd left his socks and shoes in his bedroom and was now enjoying the feel of sand through his toes. He also noted how natural it felt being barefoot and in his usual green velvet, linen and silk. He chuckled at that.

The Doctor began speculating on what he might face today. Another set of practical jokes? Both Daylanda and Chrinandor were well known for those! He seriously hoped Chrinandor had finally grown out of the "blasted overgrown disgrace to leprechauns everywhere" bit. *That* had become tiresome a long time ago. All manner of horrors were running through his mind, when he happened to look down and saw an actual four-leaf clover. "Hmm," he thought to himself, "the TARDIS must have started decorating early and she must be in her "over-the-top" mode again. Four-leaf clovers in the beach room???? Oh, dear." And where was Charley? She had apparently already risen, as her bed was empty when he'd gone to wish her a good morning. Was Charley joining in on the St. Patrick's Day preparations as well? Now he was seriously starting to worry. Especially, as he saw three more four-leaf clovers in a distinct line, leading out of the beach room. He'd just got to the last one, when he was hit in the head...by a dead leprechaun...

********

The Doctor got a better look at the object that had attacked him and sighed in relief. Mercifully, it wasn't literally a dead leprechaun, just a doll suspended from a tree. The doll had a note tied to his wrist telling the Doctor to walk a certain number of paces forward.

"Right." He chuckled. "A St. Patrick's Day scavenger hunt." He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "As you wish, old girl." The number of paces took him clear out of the beach room and through several of the TARDIS's stone corridors. Finally, he noticed a door covered in paper shamrocks - no notes, just the shamrocks. He opened the door and found himself in the forest at the edge of the fairy meadow, though still far enough in to obscure the meadow itself. It was obvious he should go forward. He'd only gone a couple of feet, when another doll dropped down - directly in front of his eyes. This doll was dressed as a female step dancer. She had no note, but when the Doctor took hold of her to get a better look, he unknowingly pressed some sort of hidden control button on her, because the second he touched her, a genuine RAINBOW shot from her back!

Totally speechless, the Doctor, still holding both dolls and the first four-leaf clover he'd picked up, followed the rainbow through the trees and into the fairy meadow. The sight that met his eyes was something he'd never forget...

Charley, in suitable Irish costume and smiling, was standing beside a giant black pot - at the end of the rainbow. As he came closer, smiling at her, he noticed the pot was filled with - not gold, but Irish breakfast TEA! He laughed, but was otherwise still speechless. Charley nodded her head back. He stepped round the pot and there was the fairy meadow completely decorated for the day. A table with a lovely Irish breakfast was waiting for the Doctor. He walked further in and, suddenly, music started up. The Doctor found what happened next to be both enchanting and completely hysterical. Virtually every fairy ( male fairies in kilts and female fairies in step dancing dresses ) in the fairy meadow stepped up in a line and stood poised, waiting. Then Daylanda, Chrinandor and Brinessia - all three wearing very cheeky grins, pranced out in front of the line and all the fairies immediately began STEP DANCING!

The Doctor laughed until the tears ran down his cheeks. When he could finally speak, he looked at Queen Airecelle, who'd flown up beside him, smiling, and Charley, who was also still smiling, and said, "Well, there's something one doesn't see every day! Thank you!".

Airecelle grinned back and replied, "You're very welcome, Doctor! And here's something else, one doesn't see every day!" Whereupon the Doctor suddenly found himself plopped on to his back - by an enormous grinning GREEN striped CHESHIRE CAT! The cat - who was REAL this time, purred, "Helloooo!", then slowly faded out of existence, grin last. This time, it was the Doctor who laughed himself silly.

When he could finally calm down, he looked at the little four-leaf clover that had led him there. It was still in his hand and he said to it, "You're rather a dear little thing, aren't you?". Then he went to enjoy the best St. Patrick's Day he'd had in a long time.

FIN

**Author's Note:**

> I felt compelled to give Eight an enjoyable S.P.D. as I noticed he seemed to have rather a rough time of it in my previous S.P.D. stories. Quite unintentional that was, I assure you. Unfortunately, now I can't get the sight of costumed, step dancing fairies out of my mind. LOL


End file.
